The calculation of stress intensity solutions can be one of the most difficult problems in engineering. With the ever-increasing pressure to reduce manufacturing and maintenance costs, the use of unitized structures to decrease part count is increasing. One of the most effective unitized structural designs is an integrally stiffened panel. The damage tolerance requirements for these integrally stiffened panels are the same as those for the built-up structure being replaced. These requirements may necessitate the calculation of crack growth rates and residual strength, both of which require accurate stress intensity solutions.
Previously, stress intensity determinations in integrally stiffened structures were performed by engineering specialists who were typically experts in finite element analysis. Currently, there are very few such engineering specialists available to perform such stress intensity calculations. Furthermore, solving a single problem typically takes such a specialist engineer weeks or months of effort, making design trade studies of integral panels expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, methods and systems for calculating stress intensities in a more cost effective manner would be useful.